SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, VA - WILLS AND ESTATES - Holland Darden, 22 Feb 1792 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I Holland Darden of Southampton County Virginia being in a low state of health but thanks be to almighty God, sound in mind and memory and calling to mind the mortality of my body do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, viz: First, I leave to my beloved wife Pheribe Darden during her natural life the use of all my plantation (except that part which my son Jacob Darden now occupies with all the houses he now occupies or may hereafter build the nurcery and the orchard he planted, one third part of my orchard a mall field joining his called the oat patch field provided he will keep a good dividing fence. My desire is that my wife Pheribe Darden and my son Jacob Darden should enjoy equal priviledge in that part of my woods land which is not herein devised to my sons Jonathan Darden, James Darden, and John Darden and for my wife Pheribe Darden to pay tax for fifty acres of the said land and my son Jacob Darden the remainder thereof and after the death of my said wife, I desire the said plantation and land may descend to my son Jacob Darden to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give to my beloved wife Peribe a piece of used? land being on the east side of the Caxer Swamp and bounded as follows beginning at a cypress standing in the run of said swamp, the lowest part of my land at John Dardens line, thence out of said swamp along John Dardens line to a pine, a corner tree, thence along a line of slip'd trees to a crook in a branch thence the several courses of said branch to the run of the Cedar Swamp thence down said run to the first station for her use during her life to get firewood & timber and her son Jacob Darden he shall have a right to get the wood and timber what she can spare him during her life and no longer and after her death, I desire the said land should descend to my son John Darden to him and his heris forever. Item: I leave to my beloved wife Pheribe Darden one negro woman named Dorothy during her life and after her death this? one? said negro and increase, if any, may be equally divided amongst all my children. Item: I give unto my beloved wife Pheribe land? on all the estate of any and every kind whatsoever which may fall to her from the estate of her first husband to her own disposal. I also give her one bed & furniture, one horse or mare (which she may choose), one cow & calf, one flax wheel (her choise), one woolen wheel, two pewter dishes, two basens, six plates, four chairs (such as are in my house), one iron pott (choice), a case of knives and forks and one hive of bees, to her own disposal. Item: I give unto my son Jacob Darden five shillings cash. Item: I give to my son Jonathan Darden a piece of land lieing on the north side of the old road and on the west side of the Indian Branch bounded as follows: begining at the old road at Joshua Gardners, Jonathan Dardens and James Dardens line runing up said road to a red oak (marked) thence along a line of red oaks to a white oak on the mating house path thence along said path to the mating house land thence along the mating house land to a red oak on the north? road thence along said road to the Indian Branch to a gum, Joshua Gardners line thence down said branch to the first station (supposd to contain twenty acres) to him and his heirs forever. I also give unto him two cider casks or hogs heads and two cider barrels to his own disposal. Item: I give unto my son James Darden a piece of land on the east side of the Indian Branch and Cedar Swamp bounded as follows: begining at the old road at Joshua Gardners and Jonathan Dardens in the Indian Branch then on down said run to a branch where I left a piece of land for my wifes use her lifetime, thence along the several courses of said branch to Robert Fishers line thence a w...t course along said Fishers line to Joshua Gardners line thence along said Gardners line to the first station, being one hundred and fifty acres, to his own disposal. I also give unto him two cows and calves, two ews (ewes) & lambs five hundred weight of s..ir.. (gross) one & small iron pott to his own disposal. Item: I give to my son John Darden all the remaining part of my land which I have not already given away bounded by Black Water River, John Dardens line, James Dardens line and Robert Fishers line, being one hundred and thirty acres to his own disposal. Item: I give to my son Holland Darden all my wareing apparel of every kind whatsoever, one cow & calf and five pounds cash to her owne disposal. (it says "her" but refers to "son" Holland.) Item: I give to my dauaghter Anne Darden five shillings cash. Item: I give to my daughter Edith Darden five shillings cash. Item: I give to my son Jonah Darden five pounds cash. Item: I give to my daughter Julia Darden five pounds cash. Item: My desire is that my mother should have that part of my estate which fell to her by my father. Item: I leave the residue of my estate if any to be equally divided amongst four of my children, to wit: my three sons Jacob Darden, Jonathan Darden, and James Darden and my trusty friend John McCabe, Executors to this my Last Will and Testament. IN WITNESS whereof I the said Holland Darden have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this twenty second day of February Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and ninety two. Holland Darden (seale) Signed, sealed, published & pronounced in presence of: James Carr John Birdsong Robert H. Fisher At a Court held for the County of Southampton the 8th day of March 1792 This Will was presented in Court by Jacob Darden, one of the Executors therein named prior to by the oaths of James Carr & John Birdsong, two of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Executor who made oath according to law, Certificate is granted him for obtaining a Probat thereof in due form giving security whereupon &c. Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book 4, 1783-1797 Southampton Co, VA Reel 17, pages 473-476 Note: Wife's name is spelled Pheribe most of the time but in a couple of instances it was Peribe. There are so many curly-cues on the capital letter so it could be Sheriba. Difficult to tell. Note: Paragraphing and some punctuation was added by transcriber for ease in reading. There are no paragraphs in the original. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Von Mings Stachon vonstac@comcast.net ___________________________________________________________________